30 October 2014

Goth Love (Part 1) - Paint it Black

Hello and welcome!

I’m so excited to launch my blog and share my very first post with you, the first of a regular series of posts I’ll be doing, expressing my love of gothic-inspired fashion. Halloween (or rather the eve of Halloween, as it's not quite the witching hour as I type this) seems an especially appropriate time to make my entrance into the blogging world, as I love Halloween, and the opportunity to dress up and be theatrical. Although I haven’t donned a full costume, I wanted to add some gothic drama to my everyday look by going to the dark side. This wasn’t a stretch for me at all, as I already love black, and I understand perfectly what Mick Jagger must have meant when he penned the lyrics to Paint it Black. There are times when only black will do, and I want to be enveloped by its comforting and sombre quality. However, I wanted to avoid ‘basic black’ so I opted for a structured silhouette with different textures, wearing a blazer with exaggerated puffed shoulders, and a delicate lace top with a rare cameo necklace. The blazer has been a faithful companion of mine for quite some time now, and I never want to take it off. Maybe it's the extra height afforded by its wonderfully puffy shoulders that makes me feel like a person of note. Ironically, it’s also one of the least expensive items I own, and was a lucky sale purchase a few seasons ago.

With my fashion statement complete, I
required a suitably dramatic location to take pictures. I’d heard of St Dunstan in the East from other photography enthusiasts, and this secret garden
set in the ruins of a Wren church lived up to all I’d heard, and made for a
grand and awe-inspiring backdrop. Despite its location a stone’s throw from the
heart of the city, it was strangely still and made for a pensive atmosphere. A decision was made not to restore the Church after it was badly damaged during the
Blitz in 1941. It was made into a public garden which opened in 1970, and is now decked with ornamental vines and adorned with
exotic plants. I also saw a few tombstones in one section of the grounds, but
could see no details on who was laid to rest there.

Do you like getting dressed up in a
Halloween costume, or prefer to adopt a subtler approach like me?

Whatever your Halloween style, I wish you all an exciting
and suitably scary day.